Pros And Cons Of Blindness

I. Affecting an estimated 10 million people in the US, blindness is a disorder of the eyes and the visual centers of the brain, resulting in little to no vision. Even though it’s believed that the blind see nothing but darkness, only about three percent of the blind report seeing nothing. Being able to see movement and light is what 97 percent of the blind report seeing. Even though they are able to see light and movement, they are not able to see color. This is what they are able to see with their eyes, however, some are also able to with their mind’s eye. Utilizing other senses and technology such as cortical implants, the blind population is able to create images in their mind’s eye.

II. The main causes of blindness and visual impairments.

A disadvantage of a boarding school is that they are away from their family and might feel different from “normal” children.
3. Having specialized teachers, textbooks and being able to interact with other blind students are some advantages of a boarding school
4. Blind students can also attend mainstream schools, there are advantages which include getting used to interacting with sighted children, figuring ways to navigate in a “normal” environment and being with family.
5. However, there are disadvantages to mainstream schools which include less personalized help from the school and teachers who are not used to teaching the blind.
F. A way that the blind can read is known as braille.
1. The first raised letter alphabet was created by Valentin Hauy in 1784, later Louis Braille created a new system in 1824 that required less space and is still used today.
G. Even though blindness is permanent for some, it can be cured depending on the cause.
1. After a person regains sight, they will be able to quickly learn to recognize objects through the help of a professional.
2. An example of regaining vision is removing a severe cataract.

IV. Using other senses, the blind population can create mental

There are different types of artificial vision that include retinal and cortical implants. The main difference is how they work.
B. Retinal implants are a technology that is used for artificial vision and is intended for those with retinal diseases.
1. Retinal implants are composed of light sensors and an electrode array. The array sends signals to the retinal neurons, these signals are then relayed to the brain.
C. One other technology used for artificial vision is cortical implants.
1. Cortical implants directly stimulate the visual cortex of the brain by using an electrode array that is connected to a camera.
2. While using this, patients’ systems are slowed to be able to relearn how to see, however, vision is black and white.
a. This form is able to be used by most patients.
D. A newer version of the artificial technology is referred to as Brain Port.
1. Unlike other forms of artificial vision, Brian Port doesn’t rely on a surgery or implant like others, it instead utilizes the tongue.
2. This technology uses a special pair of glasses and a stick of plastic on the tongue to allow the user to see shapes and letters on their tongue.
3. Brain Port works by sending images from a camera to a handheld device which transmits pixels to electric currents which can be sensed on the